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Vandalia-Con is this Friday May 26th to Sunday May 28th at The Blennerhassett Hotel in Parkersburg. The proceeds from the con are donated to bring cancer prevention, screening, outreach, and education services to the women of West Virginia.

Most of the con’s events are on Saturday with Vandalia’s Got Talent variety show, Ministry of Silly Walks Olympics, Talk of the Tavern Podcast, and Late Night Stories with Mr. Cat. Panels and classes on costume design, Victorian archeology, whip demo, creating a steampunk opera or card game, gothic horror, children’s crafting and science classes, and several other topics. There are several Special Ticket Events on Saturday as well, each of these cost either an additional $10 or free for VIP pass holds; Captain’s Tea Party, Goblin Tea Party, Steampunk Storytime, Karnevil Sideshow, Professor Bubblemaker’s Flea Circus, and Professor Phinea’s Hypnotic Adventures.

There is a Maker’s Display and Competition on Saturday. Bring in your work, set-up between 11am to 2pm, and fill out a card. Judging will be at 3pm. Entries are $5 per entry, no limit of entries. Multiple prizes will be awarded.

Friday is the Pink Block Party, which is traditionally open to the public for free. They will have the Regional Mountains of Hope WV State Cancer Coalition Meeting from 10am to 3pm, a screening of Someone You Love: The HPV Epidemic starting at 3:30pm, plus two panels on creative collaboration and graveyard archeology. The vending room will be open. Then there will be a concert from 9pm to midnight with Professor Bubblemaker’s Bubble Ballet and performances from both Steam ~ or~ The Specters of the Knox Mill and the Dead Flowers. The concert is $10 for those who have not purchased a weekend or VIP pass.

Now Sunday all they have on the schedule Quickdraw Charity Tournament.

Registration is $25 for a day pass, $20 for child’s day pass, $50 for the weekend, $40 for child’s weekend, and $100 for a VIP pass. VIP gets you into all the special ticket events and a VIP room access on Saturday night.

Fans of steampunk, alternative history, makers, and the like will have a fun time at this con. In fact I think this might be there best year yet. They have a nice guest line-up, plenty of events (at least for Saturday), are focusing on all events on site instead of a bunch of off site events, and their pricing is flushed out better than before.

For combat they will have open field on Thursday. Friday night will be AE500 and Torch Light Tourney. Saturday’s Battlefield schedule includes a Gage Meet-n-Beat, Field Battles with Combat Archery, Bridge Battles, Bannered Gates, and a Scholars tournament for fencing.

Arts & Sciences will be held in the Crafthouse beside the Merchant’s Area. The annual A&S competition will be on Saturday 10am to 4pm. All entries are welcome. Judging will be done by populous vote. They will have classes on Saturday about various ways people were punished, poisoners, and calligraphy.

Merchants will have various items for sell; wood stuffs, leather works, food, armory, jewelry, clothes, pottery, and more items.

Paladin’s Pantry Food Drive will be collecting unopened foodstuffs or non-alcoholic beverages you bring to drop off or have left over from the event at the Main Lodge and taking them to local food banks. They will also be collecting tents, sleeping bags, cots, rain gear, and the like for the homeless and victims of disasters.

Registration on site is $25 for SCA members and $30 for non-members. Children 7 to 17 are $10 and those younger are free. There is still bunk space available. Camping is free. A hotel is also on site.

If you are interested in the SCA or activities of a Renaissance Faire with a more hands on approach, you should try to come down to hang out and enjoy.

The Shire of Port Oasis is excited to host the games of the Palio di Sicily. The rival Contrade of Port Oasis are each out to prove their superiority. In order to prevent these rivalries from becoming outright warfare we have, in the fashion of the Italians, declared a Palio Event comprising of several challenges from which a winning Contrada shall be determined and be awarded the Palio prize. Come horse around with us, join in the games and delightful festivities that shall ensue. But beware! The Sicilian is still out for revenge, so keep a close eye on your horses!

Everyone is invited to display their Arts & Science projects for competition on Saturday from 10am to 2:30pm, no documentation required. The winners will be determined by popular vote. There will also be drawing materials for people to try and learn about renaissance drawing methods, materials, and techniques.

There will be a lunch buffet on Saturday and an evening feast for fifty. There will also be merchants set up selling wares.

Site Troll will be open 6pm till 11pm on Friday and 8am to 4pm on Saturday. Adult registration at site is $26 for SCA members and $21 for non-members. Children 6-15 are $20, $15 for members. Kids 5 and under get in free. On-site camping is available.

Another great chance to check out the SCA and what they are all about.

WV’s steampunk convention, Vandalia-Con is returning this Friday May 27th at 5pm through Sunday May 29th at 3pm at the Blennerhassett Hotel in Parkersburg. All proceeds from this event are donated to Bonnie’s Bus, to ensure that breast cancer screening, resources are available to all WV women who need them.

Friday is the Pink Block Party which is open to the public for free. There will be a Health Fair with a women’s health screenings from Bonnie’s Bus mobile mammogram unit with vendors and artists. A Maker’s Faire from 4pm to 6pm will be held for charity with creators allowed to enter artwork, crafts, stories, costuming, props, or other steampunk inspired projects. There is requested donation $5 per entry. There will be entertainment at the party from Professor Bubblemaker, musical performances, and a play by Pirate Crew of the Dead Rabbit as the kickoff to Vandalia-Con. Plus a Masquerade Ball.

On Saturday they will have a Nerf Quickdraw competition and a series of “Unusual Races” to participate in, a live recording of the Talk of the Tavern podcast, a Fashion Show (costume contest), and a musical jam session for anyone to join in on. They will also have classes and panels on steampunk culture and creating, American Folk Music, corsets, Houdini, Victorian archeology, spiritualism, and photography, Ghostbuster Junior training, and several more. They have a few special ticket events as well. A Treasure Hunt, a Pirate Show, Tea Dueling Tournament, and Karnevil’s Sideshow. These events are $10 each.

On Sunday they will have a Society for Creative Anachronism fencing tournament down at Bicentennial Park or ballroom depending on weather.

Single day Saturday or Sunday passes are $20, weekend passes are $50, Silver Passes which gives you a local tour package and Masquerade Ball ticket are $75, and Gold Passes which gives you bigger tour package and entry into all ticket events are $100. Children 10 and under can get tickets half-off.

Fans of steampunk and other alternative history genres will find something to enjoy here, along with costumers, music and history fans, and a little general geekery. All for a good cause, if a little on the pricey side.

Vandalia-Con is a steampunk convention with all proceeds going to breast and cervical cancer screening, diagnostic, and treatment resources in WV. It’s second ye will be once again in Parkersburg at the Historic Blennerhasset Hotel from May 22nd-24th.

Expect to see the Miner’s Lament Saloon and Red Eye Auction on Friday night, Chari-Tea Dueling Tournament and Airship Regalia on Saturday, and costume contest on Sunday. Panels and classes on seances, archaeology, costuming, gaming, manners, science lab for kids, writing, sneak peek movie screening of Hollow, Johnny Appleseed reneactor, late night stories with Mr. Cat, and several more. They have off-site guided tours of the Historic Smoote Theater, the Oil and Gas Museum, two historic Victorian homes on Julia-Ann Square, and a self-guided tour of Blennerhassett Island.

They have music guests Spence’s Rye and Eli August and the Abandoned Buildings. Other guests include performer Professor Bubblemaker, performance troupe the Pirate Crew of the Dead Rabbit, Clark Street Carnival, vaudeville sideshow Karnevil, and steampunk artist and author Thomas Wileford aka Lord Featherstone.

There will be vendors of jewelry, clothing, photography, belts, bustles, knitting, and various steampunk artisans.

On Sunday they will be holding their Vandalia-Con Pink Block Party again for free and open to all at Point Park Farmer’s Market. A parade will be leaving the Blennerhassett Hotel at 1:30pm and will head to the farmer’s market. Vendors from the con and the market will both be set up to buy from. There will be musical performances, Professor Bubblemaker’s Bubble Magic and Medicine Show, and a health fair with mammograms screening on site from 10am-4pm.

Weekend passes to the con are $50, Silver Passes are $75, and $100 for a Gold Pass. Day passes are $20. Children 12 and under receive a 50% discount with an adult purchase.

If you can not make it out or afford the con, you still donate to the cause on their site.

There will be displays of work from artisans and craftspeople. There will be a general Arts & Science competition and a winner to be chosen by populous vote. One Friday there will be a Tournament of the Masters for fencing, along with open field for pick-ups and workshops on Saturday. Thrown Weapons and Archery range will be open. A Royalty Travel Fundraiser, to fund the travel of SCA royalty to events, where you can buy $1 arrows to shoot at targets representing different peerages that will then be matched by said royal. Heavy Weapons events include Viking Insult, Grand Melee, 500 tournament, Order of the Gage Meet and Beat, and more.

Merchants selling at the event will have such things as leather works, jewelry, books, tankards, armor, handmade soap, and plenty more for the medieval enthusiast. Onsite food will be handled by Delights of Cathay.

Pre-registration is $18, those between 7 and 17 it is $9, and kids under six free. On site is $20, $10 for those 7 to 17, and still free for kids under six. A family of two adults and two minors can pre-reg for $54 or on site for $60. A day trip, starting at noon on Saturday, is $10 for adults and $5 for those 7 to 17. A surcharge for non-SCA members will apply.

Camping on site is free or you can stay at the Cedar Lakes hotel. All cabins have been sold out already.

The Shire of Port Oasis, of the Kingdom of AEthelearc of the Society of Creative Anachronism, is holding Sicilian’s Revenge on November 14th through the 16th at Camp Mad Anthony Wayne in Huntington. The site opens on Friday at 4pm and closes Sunday at 10am.

Sign up for Heavy Weapons, Archery, and Fencing on Saturday from 10am to 11am. They are holding a Shakespearean Dinner Tournament, you will engage in combat while tied to your seats to determine who pays for dinner. For fencing there will be Daggers at Dawn (quick draw element), Cloak and Dagger, Stilettos at Sunset (by lanterns), and informal duels.

The Arts & Science Display and Competition categories are Decorative, Useful, Wearable and Tasty. Voting will be done by populous vote. You can also display without being part of the judging.

There will a light breakfast, lunch, and Italian pasta fest for dinner served on Saturday morning. Merchants will also be selling custom-made brick over pizzas throughout the day. The feast will be at 6pm on Saturday. The fest is limited to 60 people.

There is a lodge with 28 bunks which are available as first come, first served basis. There is space for tent camping and four primitive cabins on site, electricity but no heat. Contact Mistress Anne Greye about getting a cabin. Several hotels are in the area as well.

Site fees are $10 for adults, $4 for children between 6 to 17, and free for children 5 and under. Non-members will be charged a $5 surcharge. Feast fees are $7.50 for adults, $4 for children 6 and over, and free for children 5 and under. Your reservation clerk is Carrie Uihlein Nilles.